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Key weekend for women's hockey results in tie and loss

Women’s hockey remains near the cellar of ECAC after a disappointing one-point weekend

The women’s ice hockey team recorded a 2-2 tie and a 3-1 loss in its home-and-home series against Yale this weekend.

The Bulldogs (7-10-4, 5-5-4 ECAC) came in strong, having only lost two games in January compared to Brown’s four. Brown faced a formidable opponent in Yale freshman standout and ECAC Rookie of the Week Phoebe Staenz, who will soon join the Swiss Olympic team in Sochi, Russia.

The Bulldogs snagged an early lead midway through the first period Friday when Staenz beat goalie Aubree Moore ’14. Bruno (2-14-5, 1-10-3) tied it up in the second period with a power-play goal by Catherine Leboeuf  ’17, her second goal of the season.

The game stayed close, tied 1-1 heading into the third period, but the Bulldogs broke the stalemate with 11 minutes to play, sneaking the puck in from behind Moore.

The Bears nearly tied the game quickly after the Yale goal when Leboeuf just missed a power-play tally. With the clock running under three minutes to play, Sarah Robson ’15 led the Bruno rally. Taking control of the puck, Robson executed a clean pass to Kaitlyn Keon ’15, who took a shot from the circle that teammate Jessica Hoyle ’14 deflected in for the tying point.

Despite another close Bulldog scoring opportunity in the last two minutes, the game carried into overtime. Neither team was able to steal the victory during extra play, though Bruno had two scoring chances — one on a breakaway from Janice Yang ’15.5 and the other on a missed slap shot from Robson with only seconds remaining.

“We played really hard. We had a ton of good chances. We probably had enough good chances to win the game,” said Head Coach Amy Bourbeau. Bruno took 31 shots on goal, compared to Yale’s 33, a good showing  for a Bears squad that is often outshot by much more.

Returning to the ice on Saturday, the Bears took an early lead that lasted much of the game. The first and only Bruno goal was scored by Brittany Moorehead ’15, her first goal of the season, on an assist from Monica Masucci ’16. Bruno was unable to push the lead, missing a couple close scoring opportunities in the first period.

Entering the second period, Bruno successfully killed a five-on-three penalty. Moore and the defense survived some close calls but were able to clear the puck and end the power play with no damage done to the Bears’ lead. The Elis had three scoring opportunities  with 30 seconds left in the second period, but great saves by Moore prevented goals, and the period ended with the Bears holding a one-goal lead.

“We let Yale hang in the game even though we had the one goal lead. We continued to not be able to finish. So that in the third period, I knew they were going to come on strong,” Bourbeau said.

After Yale committed a penalty six minutes into the third period, Brown gave up the equalizing goal to the shorthanded Bulldogs. The tally initiated a wave of momentum for Yale. Four minutes later, the Bulldogs crowded the net, missing the first two but putting away the third. A third Eli goal with less than two minutes left cemented Yale’s victory.

Bruno made costly mistakes in the third period, Bourbeau said. “We panicked a little bit,” she said. “We tried to do too much with the puck.”

Friday night’s game in New Haven was Yale’s fourth annual “White Out for Mandi,” in honor of former Bulldog Mandi Schwartz, Yale class of 2010, which raised funds for the Mandi Schwartz Foundation. The organization assists youth hockey players with serious illnesses, according to the Yale Daily News.

“Just being in the ‘Whiteout for Mandi’ was really exciting. It’s such a good cause,” Bourbeau said.

The following night was just as ceremonial. Returning to Meehan Auditorium Saturday, the Bears donned throwback “Pembroke Pandas” uniforms to celebrate 50 years of Brown women’s ice hockey, making it the oldest women’s hockey program in the United States. Alumnae from all eras of the program attended the game and were honored between periods. The team’s first head coach, Steve Shea, who led Bruno to three Ivy League Championships, dropped a ceremonial puck before the game.

The Bears take the ice again next weekend as they travel to upstate New York to take on Colgate (5-19-2, 2-12-0) and Cornell (14-3-4, 9-2-3).

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